Anna Scholz Blog

The much anticipated NJFFFW® (New Jersey Full Figured Fashion Week) begins this weekend in Atlantic City, NJ. This event caters to the plus-size woman on multiple levels. It raises awareness in the fashion industry of curvier women as style-savvy customers. It debuts the latest plus-size styles and trends to women. And it offers networking opportunities for influentials in the fashion industry, from designers and models to celebrity guests to fashion consumers.

Over the course of the weekend, guests will be treated to shopping events, panel discussions, celebrity appearances and runway shows. Evenings will offer dancing and performances by award-wining singers. There also will be a plus-size model search with Top Model’s Toccarra Jones as a panelist.

Anna Scholz is pleased to have pieces from her Spring-Summer 2012 collection showcased in a runway show at the event. Our friends from Madison Plus.com are official sponsors of this exciting weekend.

Nfinite Form has created NJFFFW ® as a “platform to raise mainstream fashion’s awareness of the plus-size industry” and to “empower women of all ranges to feel glamorous and confident with designers and brands that appeal to their curves.”

These amazing looks are brought to you courtesey of the Takanakuy fighting ceremony from the Peruvian state of Chumbivilcas. The roots of this rather brutal ceremony reach back to the Andes’s pre-Spanish, pre-Incan history as a way of settling grudges without a real active police force. Villagers and townspeople from the region bring their built-up grievances from the past year into the fighting ring each Christmas Day (of all days) and duke it out.

The costumes are meant to be intimidating and original.  They involve knitted ski masks, stuffed animals and leather boots and chaps. They often use symbols and regional styles and invoke animal spirits. Part Mad Max, part WWF, it sure looks like one heckuva way to spend Christmas.

Article from Vice Magazine: The Fashion Issue, March 2012, vol 10, no 2. Photos by Lele Saveri

Japanese fashion designer Mikio Sakabe’s Autumn/Winter 2011-12 was inspired by the Tokyo district of Akihabara, which is home to a subculture of star karaoke singers and performers and their devoted followers. The fashions are also based on the culture of gaming, comic books, manga and cosplay (short for “costume play”).

“[C]osplay is such an interesting thing,” Sakabe told Junsuke Yamasaki of Vice magazine*. “Traditionally western fashion has always been concerned with making yourself look better, whatever that means, but on the other hand, cosplay is for people who want to transform themselves.”

In a similar vein, Sakabe’s Spring-Summer 2012 collection was inspired by princesses.

*interview and photo  in Vice: The Fashion Issue, March 2012, vol 10, no 2

Emma has added some final installments to her review of her fave pieces from Anna’s Spring-Summer 2012 collection on her blog, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

As ever, Em looks stunning and provides useful information about Anna’s pieces and how they work for her.

Loving the way she styled the hydrangea print georgette maxi dress with it’s sash as a  headband and the cornelli shrug on top!

Anna’s flame print digital jersey tuck pleat dress also looks smokin’!

We also thought we’d share this sizzling photo of Lorna, who helms the blog The Ginger Peardrop, in that same flame print dress. Lorna and Emma both attended our Plus London Two blogger event recently.

I just attended a signing for my latest book at the Public Library Association conference in Philadelphia.

Natalie’s latest book, co-written with Charlotte Bennardo, is called Sirenz Back in Fashion and is due out in June. “I’m not sure if there is a curvy girl (cartoon or not),” Natalie wrote us, “on ANY Young Adult book cover out there!”

Anna Scholz and champagne – does it get better?

An update from our post of March 12: our friend Lauren, who helms the blog Pocket Rocket Fashion,won her heat in the Burger Queen beauty pageant and has now qualified for the finals.

Here’s what she wrote about the evening and what she wore.

Yup, I’m still gonna go on about this! I took part in this week’s heat. It was one of the most hilarious, bizarre and absolutely wonderful  evenings I’ve ever had. And to top it all off I bloody WON, which means I’m taking part in the final on March 29th along with Bethany and Charlotte

Bethany of the Arched Eyebrow blog and Charlotte of Obesity Timebomb are two other finalists. We’re wishing them all  luck — Read more about Lauren’s wild evening on her blog and stay tuned for more news!

Emma has added to her review of her fave pieces from Anna’s Spring-Summer 2012 collection on her blog, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

We think Em looks stunning and she says some lovely things about Anna’s designs.

The mutual admiration is running high!

To read more about why Em likes these pieces by Anna and why they work for her, visit Oh, the Places You’ll Go!